The talented young Emirati karting driver Rashid Al Dhaheri had a first-rate weekend in the Mini class of Circuito South Garda Karting, as the fledgling racer carried out consistently good driving and achieved a resounding first-place victory. This latest success for the youngster now sees him well-placed as he leads the entire WSK Super Master Series.
Cool and composed driving from Rashid saw him win three heats and achieve second in two others. In Prefinal A the young Emirati again accomplished first as he pulled far away from the rest of the drivers, over two seconds clear with a time of 9:03.982. This gave Rashid a significant advantage for the final as he was placed in pole position on the grid. All of this during a weekend in which 330 drivers of 30 nationalities competed across all categories.
During the final, Rashid’s number 518 delivered rapid pace over ten laps, as he kept a steady hand and held the lead over the competition who were chasing close behind. In every single lap Rashid was in first position, a strong performance at this advanced level of karting. During a clement and sunny day in the late Italian winter, with a dry track and a mild temperature of 10 degrees, Rashid’s resolute determination saw him hold firm as he crossed the finish line with an impressive time of a half-second faster than his nearest rival. Rashid’s victory means he is first out of 105 in his group.
Rashid said: “This was a memorable race for me and I will never forget this amazing day. I was happy with my performance as I kept first position on every lap. I’m glad the hard work I’ve put into training getting to grips with an excellent kart and keeping a steady head during the race has paid off. I’m greatly encouraged to have had a good start to the season with Parolin Racing Kart and I am fortunate to have the support of such a great team, who have helped me to achieve my best.”
Team Principal of Parolin Racing Kart, Marco Parolin said: “The whole team is extremely satisfied with this second weekend of WSK. Rashid managed to capitalise on every single point available for this round, as he offered a solid performance throughout the qualifying heats, prefinals and final. It was not an easy task, considering the large field of drivers competing this weekend, but victory is a well-deserved reward of all the hard groundwork put in from practice and preparation. We will keep collectively working together with the same motivation to prepare Rashid for the next round in the challenging La Conca circuit.”
The WSK Super Master Series is the pinnacle of karting of which there is no higher karting level in the world and is followed by Formula 1 teams and management. The competition is well-regarded to the extent that Fernando Alonso was present during the race and met Rashid, who himself gained the nickname ‘Little Alonso’ for many years.
The race took place on the renowned 1,200m South Garda Karting Track in Lombardy Province, Northern Italy, known as one of the most important tracks of its kind in the world. Having first opened in 1988, the circuit has been recently renovated and widened to provide a fun track that provides an adrenaline-fuelled ride. One of the most famous tracks worldwide, elite drivers such as Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel have all raced there.
The karting extravaganza will now move to the South of Italy to the fast track of La Conca close to Italy’s heel, at Lecce, with the next WSK Championship race taking place 7-10 March.